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Russian authorities say a truck bomb caused a fire and damaged an important bridge in Crimea


This video filmed and released on October 8, 2022 shows thick black smoke rising from a fire on the Kerch bridge connecting Crimea with Russia.

– | Afp | beautiful pictures

Russian authorities reported on Saturday that a large fire broke out on the only bridge connecting mainland Russia to the occupied Crimean Peninsula.

Russian state-backed media, citing the national anti-terrorist committee, said a lorry exploded in a traffic road on the side of the Kerch Bridge at 6:07 a.m. local time before the road collapsed. part.

The fire is believed to have consumed seven oil tankers that were being transported by rail to Crimea, with thick black smoke rising into the sky.

The Kerch Bridge, sometimes called the Crimean Bridge, is one of the prestigious projects of Russian President Putin. It was built to his order shortly after the Kremlin annexed Crimea in 2014 in support of Moscow’s claims to the territory.

A symbol of hatred for Ukrainians, the 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge is a pair of road and rail bridges spanning the Kerch Strait that Russia uses to move military equipment into Ukraine.

A screen taken from a surveillance video shows flames and smoke rising after an explosion at the Kerch bridge in the Kerch Strait, Crimea, October 8, 2022.

Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | beautiful pictures

The truck explosion reportedly occurred a day after Putin’s 70th birthday and at a time when the Kremlin’s months-long invasion of Ukraine has triggered a string of humiliating defeats in recent weeks.

Photos and videos shared on social media appear to show the scale and damage of the fire.

CNBC was unable to independently verify the veracity of these reports and images.

‘Crimea, the bridge, the starting place’

According to BBC.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said the damage was “the beginning”, although stopped short of claiming Kyiv was responsible.

“Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be deported,” Podolyak said via Twitter.

Meanwhile, the official Ukrainian government Twitter account reacted to the incident by saying, “sick burn”.

People pose for a photo in front of a postage stamp image showing artists’ impressions of the burning Kerch bridge on October 8, 2022 in central Kyiv, Ukraine.

Ed Ram | Getty Images News | beautiful pictures

Russian media reported that traffic had been suspended due to the incident and that emergency and road service personnel were working at the scene to contain the blaze.

“According to preliminary information, a fuel tank is on fire… The navigation arches are undamaged. It is too early to tell about cause and effect. Work on extinguishing the fire is underway.” , Oleg Kryuchko, a Russian aide to Crimea’s career head said via Telegram, according to the TASS news agency.

The incident occurred hours after Russia focused its latest attacks on regions of Ukraine illegal annexation.

In what the West describes as fake referendums, Mr. Putin declared “four new Russian regions” late last month when Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions .

Kyiv said it would not stop fighting until it regained every last inch of land lost to Russia.

Meanwhile, Moscow claims it has the “right” to use nuclear weapons to defend its territory and citizens if it feels an existential threat, or even under attack with conventional weapons. .

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